GABRIELLA Allen, known as “Gabby,” a 20-year-old caregiver from Wismar, Linden, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for raping a little girl who was left in her care.

Justice Priya Sewnarine Beharry handed down the sentence at the Demerara Sexual Offences Court, after a 12-member jury found Allen guilty of the offence in accordance with Section 10(3) of the Sexual Offences Act.

The case began when an allegation of rape was made against Allen, leading to her arrest on August 15, 2021. Prior to her arrest, Allen held a position at a daycare centre. It is reported that the incident occurred while the child was in Allen’s care.

The victim’s mother, in her impact statement to the court, said that she noticed a significant change in her daughter’s behaviour since the incident.

She expressed deep concern over her daughter’s frequent touching and insertion of fingers into her vagina, prompting her to ensure that her daughter always wears underwear as a precautionary measure.

Additionally, the mother mentioned that her daughter openly shares the details of the traumatic experience with people she encounters on the streets. Consequently, she made the difficult decision to entrust her daughter’s care to no other person, finding it hard to trust anyone else with her child’s well-being.

During an interview with a senior probation officer, Allen claimed to have experienced physical and verbal abuse from her mother during her formative years. She revealed that this led her to discontinue her education at age 15 and eventually run away from home.

Regarding Allen’s attitude towards the offence, the probation officer informed the court that she has consistently maintained her innocence, alleging that she was deliberately framed or ‘set up’ because of her sexuality.